Magnetically controlled racing game with means for indicating the winner



y 20, 1965 c. ALSAKER ETAL 3,195,894

MAGNETICALLY CONTROLLED RACING GAME WITH MEANS FOR INDICATING THE WINNER Filed Sept. 4, 1963 Sheets-Sheet l CLOSET INVENTORS.

July 20, 1965 E. c. ALSAKER ETAL 3,195,894 MAGNETICALLY CONTROLLED RACING GAME WITH MEANS FOR INDICATING THE WINNER Filed Sept. 4, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 KHCHEN 90 1. .za. /0.? /04 /04 /OZ 7 INVENTORS. /0 //0 6ZWO00 C. 144514.85?

s/a/va 2 #42 45 /04 m2 m2 /04 BY United States Patent 3,195,894 MAGNETECALLY CONTROLLED RACENG GAME WITH MEANS FQR INDHQATING THE WENNEER Elwood (I. Alsalrer, 403 lat Ave. NW., and Sidney R. Pappas, 1505 4th Ave. W., both of Austin, Minn. Filed Sept. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 3%,491 8 Claims. {(Il. 273-134) This invention relates to magnetic games and more particularly to an improved magnetic game device in which appropriately designed and constructed player pieces are caused to move within a channel or guide path along a surface having markings or indicia associated therewith under the influence of magnets positioned within the player pieces.

While game devices utilizing the principle of magnetized or magnetically responsive player pieces are known, the present invention is directed to a magnetic game device in which both the forces of magnetic attraction and repulsion are employed to provide for a certain degree of skill on the part of the players as well as the element of chance through the use of game pieces or dice which determine the amount of movement to be imparted by the players to the player pieces.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel and improved magnetic game device wherein the magnetic forces of attraction and repulsion are employed for the purpose of moving one of the player pieces in an intended and unintended manner and to operate an indicator at a terminal point of the game device.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved game device in which the game pieces or a game piece is used to determine the movement of the player pieces, which movement may be penalized by im proper use of the magnitude of the forces between the the player pieces.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved game device which is entertaining, relaxing and educational while requiring a certain degree of mental eflort to move the player pieces along a surface between game positions and to operate an indicator means.

Another object of this invention is to provide an interesting magnetic game device which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and easily understood by youthful players.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the reading of the attached description together with drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of the improved magnetic game device;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view in elevation of the game device taken along the lines 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view in elevation of the improved game device taken along the lines 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of one of the player pieces of the game device with parts in section;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation view of player piece in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a bottom elevation view of the player piece in FIGS. 4 and 5;

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of a second player piece of the improved game device;

FIG. 8 is a perspective View of a game piece or die with special indicia thereon for the improved game device;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a portion of an indicating apparatus of an improved game device taken along lines -9 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a plan view or" a second embodiment of the improved magnetic game device;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the improved game device taken along the lines 11l1 of FIG. 10; and

3,195,894 Patented July 20, 1965 FIG. 12 is a sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the portion of the improved game device shown in FIG. 11.

As shown in FIG. 1, the improved magnetic game device of this invention is comprised of a base member 10 which is generally elongated in rectangular form having a pair of channels 12 and 14 included on the upper surface thereof extending parallel to one another and being spaced apart. Although a pair of channels are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be understood that any number of channels may be included in the base member depending upon the number of players it is desired to accommodate with the game device. Base member 10 is made of a nonmagnetic material which is wood or plastic and the chan nels l2 and 14 may be suitable formed thereon.

One end of the base member 10 has associated therewith an indicating section located generally at 15 which may be integral with or attached to the base member. As shown in FIG. 3, this section is built up from the bottom plate 18 and end plate 20 and side and end rails 22, 24 which serve to attach the bottom plate 18 and end plate 23 to the base member 10 through suitable means, such as by nails or screws (not shown). It will be understood, however, that the entire assembly may be suitably formed integral with base member. The indicating sec- :tion provides a recess 25 adjacent the ends of channels i2, i4 and being separated therefrom by a partition member 26 for purposes to be later noted. Positioned over the base member is cover means or cover 30 which may be made totally or partially of a transparent material. Positioned on the cover are lines or markings which are spaced apart defining game positions of the player pieces, as will be later noted. These lines define sections of the cover which carry designations or labels of the names of rooms in a house with suitable background markings on the cover or on the base member, in the event that the cover is wholly transparent. The transparency of the cover means 39 will provide the view of the channels 12, 14 to disclose the position of player pieces, to be later described, which are positioned therein.

The indicator or indicating section 15 of the base member is covered by a portion of the cover means 30 which is translucent and may bear the name of the game device thereon. This section has apertures 40, 41 therein through which the flange type indicia 42, 43 associated with the channels 12 and 14 respectively extend from the indicating section 15 below the cover means 30. These flange type indicia 42, 43 will normally be positioned flush with the upper surface of the cover in one position of indication and, as will be later described, are movable such as to be raised above the cover means in a second position for indication purposes.

The indicating section 15 includes a pair of indicating members 45, 46 one of which is shown in FIG. 3, respectively associated with the channels 12, 14 such that there is a separate indicating member for each channel. The indicating members are elongated flat pieces which are bent along their extent as at Sit (see FIG. 3) to provide for pivoting the indicating member within the recess 25. The pivot structure for the indicating members includes a wire-like support or frame 54 which is suitably attached to the side rails 22 extending across the recess 25 of the indicating section 15 with bent over flanges or tabs 56 respectively on the indicating members 45, 46 to retain the members on the wire-like support 54. One end of each of the indicating members 45, 46 carries a magnet or magnetic means 5%, 59 which magnets are held in position by a flange portion 60 bent around the magnet for securing the same. The opposite extremity of each of the indicating members 45, as includes an upstanding flange portion terminating in the transversely extending flange type indicia 42, 43 which are positioned above the surface of the cover means 30; The indicating members'45, 46

are formed with the angle bend 50 off center to be un- This is shown in the solid'position of the indicating member 46 in FIG. 3. A second operating, position for the indicating members is shown only for member 46' in dotted or phantom in FIG. 3 in which the magnet 59 of the indicating member 46 is moved downward in the rece ss 25 upon rotation of the indicating member about its pivot causing the flange type indicia 43 of the indicating. member 46 to be moved above the surface of the cover means exposing the flange and its connecting upstanding portion as shown in section in FIG. 9 with the legend 'orterm snap being viewable on the upstanding portion.

above the upper surface of the cover "means.

The indicating members 45 and 46 are selectively moved to the indicating position by player pieces 60, 61 positioned'in the channels 12, 14 respectively. These player pieces are hereafter being designated as the movable player pieces aud are designed and constructed to depict a mouse as will be seen in FIG. 7.

The movable player pieces 60, 61 for the channels 12, 14 each include a bar magnet 64, which is positioned .in the base thereof with the lower surf-aces of the player pieces having a flush-plate 63 positioned over the magnet to permit the piece to slide along the flat surface of the channels lZ, 1 4. 7 The remaining player pieces for the game device include movingplayer pieces 65,66, one of" which is shown in FIGS, 4, 5, and 6.in the'formof a cat.

The moving player pieces 65, 66 are used to move the movable player pieces 60,. 61, there being one moving player piece for'each channel of the game device. The

player pieces of each typeare of identical construction and 4 v in the channel. The attracted relationship between the pieces of channel is an undesirable operating condition of the game. It provides a penalty aspect for the game since it requires an additional movement to operate the associated portion of the indicating section 15 of the game device. It will be? understood that the indicating section includes separate indicating members for the respective channels and player pieces. Thus theoperation of the player pieces will require a limited amount of skill and may provide for a penalty on the individual players for unskillful operation of the device.

hence only one of each' is shown in detail. Thefplayer pieces 65, 66 each include a body portion 70 substantially cylindrical form with a flushpla'te '75 adapting them to slidealong the surface of the cover means magnets 72are positioned in "each'of the moving player pieces 65, 66 and the characterization or constructionof moving player pieces define a cat-like form which is ob-' tained from wire-like form members 73,74, which are bent to simulate the head and tail of a cat with the wirelike members being imbedd-ed into the body 70 thereon.

Bar.

The chance aspect of the improved magnetic game dcvcie is' provided through the use of game pieces or a game piece, .such as a die 8'0 shown in FIG; 8. The de vice may be characterized to resemble a piece of cheese". In this preferred embodiment of the game device, two such dice are utilizedwith the surfaces of the dice carrying special designations such'as' plus and minus signs, as indicated in FIG. 8. The dice'or die or the equivalent in a game piece, will be usedtodetermine the movement of the moving player piece by the players within the rules of the game cau'singthe movable player pieces in the channels to be moved in the base member toward the indication section 15 for operation of the same.

The magnet 64 in the'rnovable player pieces 60, Glare so poled with respect to the poles on. the magnets 58, 59 of the indicatingmembers 45, 46 as to cause a repelling action and pivoting of the indicating members about the pivot 54-when the movable player pieces 60, 61 are brought into position in the channels 12, 14 adjacent the partition 26. The partition 26 serves to confine the player pieces 60, 61 within the channels and prohibit physical contact between the magnetic parts.- This magnetic repulsion between theplayer-pieces 60, 61 and the magnets on the indicating members 45,46 respectively will overcome the unbalance of the respectiveindicator members causing the flanges 42, 43 thereon to move I 'minal point cf-the game movement for the game device.

The magnets 72in the moving player pieces are oppositely poledfrbm the magnets 64 in the movable player pieces 60, 61 with respect to thebody form of each type of player pieces, such that like poles are positioned adjacent one another when the player pieces a channel arepositioned one behind the other; This will provide normal movement by the movable player pieces 60, 61 in'the channels through the repulsive force between the magnets of the moving and movable pieces as the. moving player pieces are moved along the surface of the cover means behind the. movable player pieces, V V I r In the operation of the game device, such manual movement of the. moving player pieces is permitted by the rules ofthe game to take place betweenthe positions or sections which are marked on the cover means 'A slight clearance is provided between the movable player The operation of the improved magnetic game device within the rul-es'ofthe game has for its object to move the movableplayer pieces 6tl, 61, the mice, within the channelslz, 14, thr ough movement ofthe moving player pieces 65, 66, the cats, from a start position'to aterminal position adjacent the indicating section 15 and operate theindicating'section or the indicating members associ- -ated with the respective channels which are designated herein asthe trap. Thus, the cat will-chase the mouse into the trap. At the start of the game, which in this embodiment will provide for the operation of the same by two players, the moving player pieces on-the surface of the cover means will be used to position the movable player pieces in the channels'to a start position within the channels as designated by the ,tnarlgings on the cover means.

"Thus, the cat will be used to position the mouse into the channel inwha'tever room designation is decidedupon for the start point of the game. When the movable player pie'cestit), 61 have been so positioned within the channels, the moving player pieces 65,66 may be moved-sidewise or translationally toward the side rails 22 on the base member 19 so that the movable. player pieces in the channels will remain in the start positions.- The cat or the moving player pieces 65, 66" may then be placed on the cover pieces 60, 61 and the channels 12 and 14 so that they mayreadilyslide therein. In the present embodiment,

the moving player pieces may be moved along the surface I of the coverv means abovethe channel and with slight side-Wise movement, if desired, to overcome, any stickiness 0r frictions encountered by the movable player I pieces in the channel's. Too much movement between the player pieces, that is, thecat and mouse, will cause the player pieces of one channel'to overlap such that the poles of the magnets therein will reach an attracting relationship and the movable player piece will approach and. move. with. the movingplayer piece while remaining 'or the special dice .or die.

"thereof, the playermay: move the moving player piece or the cat from oneroom tofthe adjacent room and then pass the dice to the next player. In the event that the dice show two minus signs, the player may roll the dice again but no movement of the moving player piece is permitted. When the dice show unlike signs on the top, such as the plus and minus signs, the player receives or is permitted no movement of his player piece but must pass the dice to the next player.

In the operation of the moving player pieces 65, do, the cat must be moved forward carefully so that the movable player piece (iii, 61 or the mouse will scoot along in the channel one room ahead of the cat. In the event that the cat is unskillfully moved and in place of magnetic repulsion between the player pieces, magnetic attraction exists, the mouse will be caused to become attached to the bottom of the cat and will be moved along with the cat as it is moved upon direction by the throw of the die. Under these circumstances, the player will find that an extra move is required to reach the indicating section or the trap at the terminal point of the game in order to snap the trap and provide the indication referred to. Within the rules of the game, the moving player piece must at all times be in touch with the surface or cover means of the board and the moving player piece or the cat may not be moved past the lines designating the next room or division on the cover means after the player has earned a move. However, this player piece may be moved from side to side in an eiiort to get the mouse or movable player piece to scoot into channel ahead of the moving player piece. The winner of the game is the player whose mouse or movable player piece snaps the trap or operates the indicating section first.

An alternate embodiment or construction of the improved magnetic game device is shown in part in FEGS. 10, 11, and 12 and where similarity in parts exist with tr e preferred embodiment, the original numbers are retained for simplicity. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the side and end rails are omitted and the base member, indicated at 9%, has been modified to provide two continuous channels 92, 4 therein without the provision of a separate recess for the indicating section. The indicating members 45, 46 are pivoted on a special rod like pivot which may take the form of a nail directed through the side of the base member as indicated in phantom at 95 in the cutaway section of FIG. 10. The magnets or magnet structures 58, 59 are mounted at the extremities of the indicating members 45, 46 with the indicia sections 42, 43 at the other extremities of the indicating members extending above the surface of the cover means 36. The cover means positioned on the upper surface of the base, has mounted thereon a special guide means indi- I cated generally at 1% Whose purpose is to confine lateral or translational movement of the moving player pieces 65, 66 above the channels 92, 94. The separate guide means ltlt) which is included with each of the channels is defined by a first set of rail members 102 suitably secured to the cover means and spaced apart to accommodate the width of a special plate 105 attached to the bottom surface of the moving player members 65, 66. As shown in FIG. 10, this plate M5 is elliptical in form and may be suitably secured to the base of the player pieces 65, 66 through means not shown such as gluing. A second set of rails 104 spaced apart to accommodate the body 7%) of the player pieces 65, 66 and mounted on the rail pieces 102 being suitably secured thereon serve to retain the plate 105 for the player pieces 65, 66 within the guide means 100. The dimensions of the plate 165 and body of the player pieces 65, 66 are slightly less than the spacing in the recess formed by the guide means 102, 104 for each channel such that slight lateral movement is permitted for the moving player pieces while permitting smooth movement of the respective player pieces along the surface of the cover means 36. As indicated in FIG. 10, by the arrows 110, the start position for the moving player pieces is provided with an entrance facilitated by making the rails on one side of the channel t3 longer than the other by one spacing at each end of the channel. Thus, as will also be seen in FIG. 10, the terminal point or exit for the moving player piece or cat is shown by the arrows 112.

In FIG. 12, an alternate construction for the guide means 160 is shown in a sectional View which eliminates the build-up of parts on the surface of the game device through a modification of the cover means. As indicated in HQ. 12, the base member on its upper surface above the respective channels 92, 94 contains an additional recess over the entire extent of the base member wide enough to accommodate the plate 105 on the moving playor piece. This recess contains a cover part which encloses the channel to seal the same retaining the movabie player piece therein. Base member 98 is covered with a modification of the cover means such as is indicated at 122, having slots 124 for each channel therein which slots have a width to accommodate the body 70 of the moving player pieces 65, 66. The depth of the recess permits the entrance and movement of the plate attached to the base of the moving player pieces 65, 66 to permit movement along and above the channels over the extent of the base member 90. The recesses 115 extend along the base member over each channel and the start and terminal points of the game are at the ends of the base member to permit entrance and exit of the moving player pieces associated with each channel. The dimensional tolerances of recess 115 permits slight translational movement of the moving player pieces therein to aid in the movement of the movable player pieces within the channels.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 10, 11, and 12, an alternate construction is proposed for the cover means positioned over the base member of the game device and slight modification is provided for the moving player piece. The operation and rules of the game are unaltered from the embodiment previously described and will be omitted for simplicty.

It will be understood that the improved magnetic game device will be used by two players, but that the apparatus may be modified to provide additional channels and player pieces to accommodate additional players. The operation of this game device involves a certain amount of skill and dexterity, together with the element of chance in the winning of the game. The design of the game device and its player pieces permits simple and economic construction and retailing of the same at a relatively low cost. In considering this invention it should be remembered that the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative only and that the scope of the invention should be deter mined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A magnetic game device comprising:

(a) an elongated non-magnetic base member having a plurality of spaced apart channels therein,

(b) an indicator section positioned at one end of said base member common to said channels including a pivoted indicator member in each channel having magnetic means positioned at one extremity of the indicator member and indicia means positioned at the other extremity of said indicator member,

(c) a movable player piece having a magnet therein positioned in each of said channels,

(d) cover means including transparent sections positioned over said base member enclosing said channels, said transparent sections overlying said channels, and longitudinally spaced apart markings on said cover means,

(e) a moving player piece for each channel including a magnet positioned therein, said moving player piece being adapted to be manually moved on the surface of said cover means over said channels,

(f) the magnets of said movable player piece and said moving player piece being normally oppositely poled to cause said movable player piece to be moved in tion when themagnet of said movable player piece is brought into proximity therewith to pivot said memher and display said indicia, 7

(h) and a game piece adapted to, be used by the players of said game device to determine the extent of manual movement of said moving player piece on said cover means. t

2. The magnetic game device of claim 1 in which the cover meansihas an aperture therein through which the indicia means on said indicator member extends and in which the pivoted indicator member is unbalanced about its pivot to cause it to assume a predetermined position and be movable therefrom such that said indicia means thereon moves above the surface of said cover means to a second position. L v V 3. The magnetic game device of claim 1 in which the game piece is a die means having two sets of markings thereon which markings determine the movement to be manually imparted to the moving player pieces.

v4. A magnetic game device as claimed in claim 2 in which the plurality of channels are 'a pair ofchannels in said base member which are positioned parallel to one another, the moving and movableplayer pieces are appropriately designed and constructed to depict a cat and a mouse respectively, and the markings on the cover means v 8 are labeledas various parts of a house through which the cat chases the mouse and with the indicia means on said indicator member being exposed" assaid indicator mem;

ber reaches said second position.

5. Themagnetic game device of'clairn 1 and including guide means associated with said cover means to confine and guide the moving player pieces along said channels.

6. The magnetic game device of claim- 5 in which the guide means is mounted on-said cover means; I i 7. The magnetic game device of claim '5 in which the guide means is formed in' said 'cover means.

8. The magnetic game device of claim 5 in which the transparent sections ersaid covermeans include spaced apart pictorial markings of stages of movement of; said 15 moving player pieces in a house and the moving and movable player pieces are appropriately designed and con- 7 I structed to depict a cat and a mouse respectively.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED. STATES PATENTS 1/58 Schiffman 273-86 10/6 0 Luchsinger 273-1 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 65,262 12/46 Denmark. 1,086,847 j 8/54 France. 

1. A MAGNETIC GAME DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) AN ELONGATED NON-MAGNETIC BASE MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART CHANNELS THEREIN, (B) AN INDICATOR SECTION POSITIONED AT ONE END OF SAID BASE MEMBER COMMON TO SAID CHANNELS INCLUDING A PIVOTED INDICATOR MEMBER IN EACH CHANNEL HAVING MAGNETIC MEANS POSITIONED AT ONE EXTREMITY OF THE INDICATOR MEMBER AND INDICIA MEANS POSITIONED AT THE OTHER EXTREMITY OF SAID INDICATOR MEMBER, (C) A MOVABLE PLAYER PIECE HAVING A MAGNET THEREIN POSITIONED IN EACH OF SAID CHANNELS, (D) COVER MEANS INCLUDING TRANSPARENT SECTIONS POSITIONED OVER SAID BASE MEMBER ENCLOSING SAID CHAMNELS, SAID TRANSPARENT SECTIONS OVERLYING SAID CHANNELS, AND LONGITUDINALLY SPACED APART MARKINGS ON SAID COVER MEANS, (E) A MOVING PLAYER PIECE FOR EACH CHANNEL INCLUDING A MAGNET POSITIONED THEREIN, SAID MOVING PLAYER PIECE BEING ADAPTED TO BE MANUALLY MOVED ON THE SURFACE OF SAID COVER MEANS OVER SAID CHANNELS, (F) THE MAGNETS OF SAID MOVABLE PLAYER PIECE AND SAID MOVING PLAYER PIECE BEING NORMALLY OPPOSITELY POLED TO CAUSE SAID MOVABLE PLAYER PIECE TO BE MOVED IN SAID CHANNEL BY SAID MOVING PLAYER PIECE THROUGH THE INFLUENCE OF SAID MAGNETS THEREIN, (G) THE MAGNETIC MEANS ON SAID INDICATOR MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE MOVED OUT OF A PRE-DETERMINED POSITION WHEN THE MAGNET OF SAID MOVABLE PLAYER PIECE IS BROUGHT INTO PROXIMITY THEREWITH TO PIVOT SAID MEMBER AND DISPLAY SAID INDICIA, (H) AND A GAME PIECE ADAPTED TO BE USED BY THE PLAYERS OF SAID GAME DEVICE TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF MANUAL MOVEMENT OF SAID MOVING PLAYER PIECE ON SAID COVER MEANS. 